Ways to reduce risk of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, breaks down a person’s cartilage and other joint tissues. While there is no way to completely prevent a person from developing osteoarthritis, there are steps people can take to lessen their risk and lessen the symptoms.

According to Johns Hopkins, one of the best ways to reduce a your risk of developing the symptoms of osteoarthritis is to lose weight if you are currently overweight.

Carrying around extra weight puts more pressure on your weight-bearing joints, including the hips and knees. According to Johns Hopkins, an obese person is four to five times more likely to develop osteoarthritis in the knee than a person at an ideal weight.

Johns Hopkins states that studies have shown that losing even 11 pounds will decrease a person’s risk of osteoarthritis.

Exercise:

To protect the joints and cartilage, strengthen the muscles around the joints. Perform exercises that will target these key muscle groups.

When exercising, be sure to not put too much stress on your joints. Avoid doing repetitive exercises and alternate between weight training and cardio workouts. If you feel pain in a joint while doing an exercise, make sure to stop immediately.

Practice good posture:

Believe it or not, your posture can be a risk for osteoarthritis. Sitting and standing in bad positions with poor posture can put excess pressure on your joints.

Protect your joints:

Injuring a joint can lead to osteoarthritis. To protect your joints make sure to wear proper protective gear when engaging in a sport or physical activity.

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